A specimen rack for transporting multiple specimen containers is required for an automatic analyzer and a specimen pre-processing device because easy collection of liquid specimens improves efficiency.
Patent document 1 discloses a test tube support rack having a test tube support rack body having a cylindrical shape to support differently sized test tubes appropriately by use of one kind of test tube support rack and to transport each test tube separately depending on purposes of examinations and tests. A test tube insertion hole having a test tube support bottom is formed to a central portion of a circular cross section of the test tube support rack body in parallel to a central axis of the test tube support rack. A rack through hole smaller than a dimension of the test tube is provided to a central portion of the test tube support bottom.
Patent Document 2 discloses a specimen transport rack operable in both an automatic analyzer and a specimen pre-processing device and capable of accommodating various dimensions of specimen containers. The specimen transport rack includes a specimen rack capable of holding multiple specimen containers and an adapter having a generally ring shape and inserted into an insertion opening of a specimen container of the specimen rack. The adapter has a dimension generally the same as an inner diameter of the insertion opening of the specimen container provided to the specimen rack, and includes a specimen container positioning surface having an inner diameter generally the same as a dimension of a held specimen container and a specimen container pushing section projecting internally to the specimen container positioning surface.
Further, there is an automatic analyzer having a bar code reader for identifying specimens. In this case, since it is difficult to read the bar code during rotation of the specimen rack, it is necessary to control rotation of the specimen container.
On the other hand, since the bar code is read during the rotation in the specimen pre-processing device, it is necessary to rotate the specimen rack. Therefore, there are multiple specimen racks that accommodate sizes of the specimen containers and the presence or absence of the rotation of the specimen containers.